Intervention to Discontinue Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy in Patients Hospitalized with Pulmonary Infections: Effect on Shortening Patient Stay

1992 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Joel Ehrenkranz ◽  
Debra E. Nerenberg ◽  
James M. Shultz ◽  
Kenneth C. Slater

AbstractObjectives:Current efforts to contain antimicrobial costs in hospitals are based on restricting drugs. We explored the effects of unsolicited case-specific recommendations to physicians to discontinue parenteral antimicrobial therapy in medically stable patients with pneumonia, in order to shorten hospital length of stayMethods:A nurse-interventionist, working as an emissary of an appropriate committee in 3 nonteaching community hospitals, presented randomly assigned physicians withnonconfrontational suggestions to substitute comparable oral antimicrobials for parenteral antimicrobials. Blinded observers evaluated in-hospital and30-day postdischarge courses of patients of physicianswhohad been contacted by the nurse (cases) and those who had not (controls).Results:Eighty-two patient episodes (47 physicians) met study criteria. There were 53 cases and 29 controls. In 42 of 53 (79%) case episodes, physicians discontinued parenteral antimicrobials; patients' mean length of stay was 2.4 days less than for 29 control episodes (estimated cost savings was$884/patient). In 11 (21%) episodes, case physicians continuedparenteraltherapy; patients' mean length of stay was 1.9 days longer than for controls (estimated cost excess was$704/patient). Education, training and practice characteristics were comparable in physician groups. Severity of illness indicators and postdischarge outcomes were comparable in patient groups.Conclusions:The major cost-saving potential for shifting from par-enter-al to oral antimicrobial therapy is shortened length of stay. Timely information about alternative drug therapies, offered on a patient-specific basis, appears to modify the treating behavior of physicians. The program as currently conducted is cost-effective, with an estimated net savings of $50,000 per 100 interventions.

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecile Aubron ◽  
Allen C. Cheng ◽  
David Pilcher ◽  
Tim Leong ◽  
Geoff Magrin ◽  
...  

Objectives.To analyze infectious complications that occur in patients who receive extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), associated risk factors, and consequences on patient outcome.Design.Retrospective observational survey from 2005 through 2011.Participants and Setting.Patients who required ECMO in an Australian referral center.Methods.Cases of bloodstream infection (BSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), and ventilator-associated pneumonia (YAP) that occurred in patients who received ECMO were analyzed.Results.A total of 146 ECMO procedures were performed for more than 48 hours in 139 patients, and 36 patients had a total of 46 infections (30.1 infectious episodes per 1,000 days of ECMO). They included 24 cases of BSI, 6 of them secondary to VAP; 23 cases of VAP; and 5 cases of CAUTI. The most frequent pathogens were Enterobacteriaceae (found in 16 of 46 cases), and Candida was the most common cause of BSI (in 9 of 24 cases). The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score before ECMO initiation and the number of days of support were independenuy associated with a risk of BSI, with odds ratios of 1.23 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.47; P = .019) and 1.08(95% CI, 1.03-1.19]; P = .006), respectively. Infected patients did not have a significantly higher mortality compared with uninfected patients (41.7% vs 32%; P = .315), but intensive care unit length of stay (16 days [interquartile range, 8-26 days] vs 11 days [IQR, 4-19 days]; P = .012) and hospital length of stay (33.5 days [interquartile range, 15.5-55.5] vs 24 days [interquartile range, 9-42 days]; P = .029) were longer.Conclusion.The probability of infection increased with the duration of support and the severity of illness before initiation of ECMO. Infections affected length of stay but did not have an impact on mortality.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S311-S312
Author(s):  
Hana Rac ◽  
Alyssa Gould ◽  
P Brandon Bookstaver ◽  
Julie Ann Justo ◽  
Joseph Kohn ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Early identification of patients at high risk of morbidity and mortality following Gram-negative bloodstream infections (GN-BSI) based on initial clinical course may prompt adjustments to optimize diagnostic and treatment plans. This retrospective cohort study aims to develop early clinical failure criteria (ECFC) to predict unfavorable outcomes in patients with GN-BSI. Methods Adults with community-onset GN-BSI who survived hospitalization for at least 96 hours at Palmetto Health hospitals in Columbia, SC, USA from January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2015 were identified. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine association between clinical variables within 72–96 hours of BSI and unfavorable outcomes (28-day mortality or hospital length of stay >14 days). Results Among 766 patients with GN-BSI, 225 (29%) had unfavorable outcomes. After adjustments for Charlson Comorbidity Index and appropriateness of empirical antimicrobial therapy in multivariate model, predictors of unfavorable outcomes included systolic blood pressure <100 mmHg or vasopressor use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–2.5), heart rate >100/minute (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.5), respiratory rate ≥22/minute or mechanical ventilation (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.4–3.3), altered mental status (aOR 4.5, 95% CI 2.8–7.1), and peripheral WBC count >12 × 103/mm3 (aOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.8–4.1) at 72–96 hours from index BSI. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve of ECFC model in predicting unfavorable outcomes was 0.77 (0.84 and 0.71 in predicting 28-day mortality and prolonged hospitalization separately, respectively). Predicted 28-day mortality increased from 1% in patients with no ECFC to 3%, 7%, 16%, 32%, and 54% in presence of each additional criterion (P < 0.001). Predicted hospital length of stay was 7.5 days in patients without any ECFC and increased by 4.0 days (95% CI 3.1–4.9, P < 0.001) in presence of each additional criterion. Conclusion Risk of 28-day mortality or prolonged hospitalization can be estimated within 72–96 hours of GN-BSI using ECFC. These criteria may have utility in future clinical research in assessing response to antimicrobial therapy based on a standard evidence-based definition of early clinical failure. Disclosures P. B. Bookstaver, CutisPharma: Scientific Advisor, <$1,000. Melinta Therapeutics: Speaker’s Bureau, <$1,000.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 762
Author(s):  
Swapnil Patel ◽  
Abbas Alshami ◽  
Steven Douedi ◽  
Natasha Campbell ◽  
Mohammad Hossain ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) is a 646-bed tertiary medical center located in central New Jersey. Over the past several years, development and maturation of tertiary services at JSUMC has resulted in tremendous growth, with the inpatient volume increasing by 17% between 2016 and 2018. As hospital floors functioned at maximum capacity, the medical center was frequently forced into crisis mode with substantial increases in emergency department (ED) waiting times and a paradoxical increase in-hospital length of stay (hLOS). Prolonged hLOS can contribute to worse patient outcomes and satisfaction, as well as increased medical costs. (2) Methods: A root cause analysis was conducted to identify the factors leading to delays in providing in-hospital services. Four main bottlenecks were identified by the in-hospital phase sub-committee: incomplete orders, delays in placement to rehabilitation facilities, delays due to testing (mainly imaging), and delays in entering the discharge order. Similarly, the discharge process itself was analyzed, and obstacles were identified. Specific interventions to address each obstacle were implemented. Mean CMI-adjusted hospital LOS (CMI-hLOS) was the primary outcome measure. (3) Results: After interventions, CMI-hLOS decreased from 2.99 in 2017 to 2.84 and 2.76 days in 2018 and 2019, respectively. To correct for aberrations due to the COVID pandemic, we compared June–August 2019 to June–August 2020 and found a further decrease to 2.42 days after full implementation of all interventions. We estimate that the intervention led to an absolute reduction in costs of USD 3 million in the second half of 2019 and more than USD 7 million in 2020. On the other hand, the total expenses, represented by salaries for additional staffing, were USD 2,103,274, resulting in an estimated net saving for 2020 of USD 5,400,000. (4) Conclusions: At JSUMC, hLOS was found to be a complex and costly issue. A comprehensive approach, starting with the identification of all correctable delays followed by interventions to mitigate delays, led to a significant reduction in hLOS along with significant cost savings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 400
Author(s):  
Davinder Ramsingh ◽  
Huayong Hu ◽  
Manshu Yan ◽  
Ryan Lauer ◽  
David Rabkin ◽  
...  

Introduction: Cardiac surgery patients are at increased risk for post-operative complications and prolonged length of stay. Perioperative goal directed therapy (GDT) has demonstrated utility for non-cardiac surgery, however, GDT is not common for cardiac surgery. We initiated a quality improvement (QI) project focusing on the implementation of a GDT protocol, which was applied from the immediate post-bypass period into the intensive care unit (ICU). Our hypothesis was that this novel GDT protocol would decrease ICU length of stay and possibly improve postoperative outcomes. Methods: This was a historical prospective, QI study for patients undergoing cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Integral to the QI project was education towards all associated providers on the concepts related to GDT. The protocol involved identifying patient specific targets for cardiac index and mean arterial pressure. These targets were maintained from the post-CPB period to the first 12 h in the ICU. Statistical comparisons were performed between the year after GDT therapy was launched to the last two years prior to protocol implementation. The primary outcome was ICU length of stay. Results: There was a significant decrease in ICU length of stay when comparing the year after the protocol initiation to years prior, from a median of 6.19 days to 4 days (2017 vs. 2019, p < 0.0001), and a median of 5.88 days to 4 days (2018 vs. 2019, p < 0.0001). Secondary outcomes demonstrated a significant reduction in total administered volumes of inotropic medication(milrinone). All other vasopressors demonstrated no differences across years. Hospital length of stay comparisons did not demonstrate a significant reduction. Conclusion: These results suggest that an individualized goal directed therapy for cardiac surgery patients can reduce ICU length of stay and decrease amount of inotropic therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S737-S737
Author(s):  
Natasha R Herzig ◽  
Tara L Harpenau ◽  
Kevin M Wohlfarth ◽  
Alicia M Hochanadel

Abstract Background Cardiac arrest patients are often empirically treated for aspiration pneumonia with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Previous literature has shown no difference in clinical outcomes when discontinuing antimicrobial therapy for suspected aspiration pneumonia with negative respiratory cultures, but the application is limited in this population. This study aimed to assess antibiotic de-escalation practices for suspected aspiration pneumonia in post cardiac arrest patients with respiratory cultures and explore clinical outcomes. Methods This retrospective cohort conducted at a level 1 trauma center included adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who received antimicrobial therapy for suspected aspiration pneumonia. The primary endpoint was incidence of antibiotic de-escalation before day seven comparing culture-negative and culture-positive patients. De-escalation included discontinuation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) coverage, Pseudomonas aeruginosa coverage, atypical coverage or all antibiotics when respective pathogens were not identified from microbiologic or serologic methods. Secondary endpoints included type of de-escalation and clinical outcomes. Results Eighty-six patients were included: 45 culture-negative and 41 culture-positive. Figure 1 depicts the breakdown of organisms isolated. Guideline-directed empiric therapy was used in 18.6% of patients, with the remainder receiving excessively broad empiric coverage. Antibiotic de-escalation before day seven occurred in 28 (80%) culture-negative patients and 32 (82%) culture-positive patients (p = 0.82), excluding patients who died before day seven. Providers frequently stopped unnecessary MRSA coverage in both groups. In-hospital mortality was higher in the group of patients without antibacterial de-escalation (62% vs. 33%, p=0.03), but hospital length of stay, ICU length of stay, and number of ventilator-free days were not different between groups. Figure 1: Epidemiology of Pathogens Isolated From Respiratory Cultures in Cardiac Arrest Patients Conclusion Culture results were not associated with antibiotic de-escalation in post cardiac arrest patients with suspected aspiration pneumonia. Opportunities exist for further de-escalation in this population, particularly patients with unnecessary pseudomonal coverage. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


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